Assignment: To write a documented essay (in text and end text) that supports your answer for the following question. 100 Points

Name___________________________________________Date_______________________Period_____

Assignment: To write a documented essay (in text and end text) that supports your answer for the following question. 100 Points

Is the narrator of “The Tell Tale Heart” sane or insane? Evaluate his mental state using the criteria we discussed in class: distinguishing between reality and fantasy, controlling own behavior, and knowing the difference between right and wrong. Support your reasoning with three pieces of evidence from the story.

You will be responsible for all pre-writing and the final essay. You will need your research folder. You will place all pre-writing along with the final essay in the folder when you hand it in.

Steps to completing assignment

1. 
   Step 1: Create your thesis. (Establish position. This will be )
   

1. 
   Topic based on your prosecutor/
   
2. 
   Opinion you have about topic defendant packet)
   

2. 
   Step 2: Identify support for your thesis (Brainstorm/collect info)
   

A. Identify each reason: mark on folder envelop

B. Find (at least one) quotation that supports each supporting reason

C. Create note card for each quotation

D. Create source card(s)

III. Step 3: Create outline using reasons and details (Organize)

A. Introduction

1. Get the reader’s attention

2. Introduce the topic

3. State your thesis

4. Name of literary selection

5. Author of literary selection

B. Body paragraphs

1. One paragraph per main idea

2. Supporting detail(s)/quotation(s) for each reason

3. Don’t forget transitions

a. To connect ideas in paragraphs

b. To connect paragraphs

C. Conclusion

1. Restate thesis (in a new way)

2. Bring essay to a conclusion-possibly tying it back to introduction

IV. Step 4 Write draft (Write)

A. Use outline for guide

B. Organize cards in order they will be used in essay

V. Step 5: Revise (Re-see)

A. Read for clarity (ideas presented clearly). Revise as needed.

B. Read for coherence (ideas connect logically). Revise as needed.

C. Read for correctness. Revise as needed.

1. Grammar

2. Spelling

3. Punctuation

4. Capitalization

VI. Step 6: Prepare to hand in. (Double check rubric)

A. Folder with note cards, source card(s)

B. Sanity/insanity packet

C. Outline

D. Draft(s)

E. Final essay with rubric stapled to front

Use this rubric to determine whether or not you will be meeting assignment requirements.

4 Outstanding Effort 3 Above Average Effort 2 Acceptable Effort 1 Below Expectations

Thesis Clearly identifies position on narrator’s sanity ______

Content Consists of clear, accurate, thorough support concerning question of ______ narrator’s sanity Uses at least 3 documented quotes. Counts 2X

Planning and Uses folder to organize research: (Handed in with paper) Pre-writing At least 3 note cards contain info, topic in left corner, author’s name in right Corner source(s) card(s), cards contain all bibliographic information ______ Insanity packet, and outline

Organization Introduction: Grabs attention, directs reader to topic, contains thesis ______ Body paragraphs well structured: Topic sentence, supporting details, transition to next paragraph ______ Conclusion: Restates topic sentence in new way, concluding idea ______

Documentation In text documentation, tags used where necessary, quotes and paraphrases fit smoothly into paper End text documentation, correctly formatted (Works Cited) ______

Sentences Complete, grammatical sentences. No run-ons or fragments. ______

Mechanics Correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling ______

The Insanity Plea

The Legal Definition of Insanity

In a criminal trial, the work “insanity” means something more specific than when we use it in everyday speech. You can’t say that someone on trial is “insane” just because he did something that most of us would consider “crazy” (like killing someone, chopping up the body, and hiding the pieces under the floorboards.)

That’s because in a trial when we say someone is insane, we’re saying that the person didn’t fully understand what he or she was doing and therefore shouldn’t be held responsible for his or her actions. Read the following legal definition of insanity:

Insanity is a mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot manage his/her own affairs or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior. In criminal cases a plea of “not guilty by reason of insanity” will require a trial on the issue of the defendant’s insanity (or sanity) at the time the crime was committed.

In this context, “not guilty” does not mean the person did not commit the criminal act for which he or she is charged. It means that when the person committed the crime, he or she could not tell right from wrong or could not control his or her behavior because of severe mental defect or illness. Such a person, the law holds, should not be held criminally responsible for his or her behavior. (

You are the court-appointed DEFENSE attorney for a man accused of murder. The man is clearly guilty—he confessed to the crime and led the police straight to the mutilated body of his victim. Obviously, there is no chance of getting a jury to find him innocent. However, if you can convince the jury that your client is insane, he’ll be able to avoid the death penalty and might be sent to an institution instead of a prison.

REMEMBER: Legal insanity means that at the time of the crime, the killer…

• 
  Could not distinguish fantasy from reality
  
• 
  Could not tell right from wrong
  
• 
  Could not control his behavior
  

Read through the killer’s confession and try to find evidence that you could use to prove that the murderer IS insane. Find evidence that shows your client does not meet the three criteria for sanity. Identify the line and page number for each piece of evidence.

The Insanity Plea

The Legal Definition of Insanity

In a criminal trial, the work “insanity” means something more specific than when we use it in everyday speech. You can’t say that someone on trial is “insane” just because he did something that most of us would consider “crazy” (like killing someone, chopping up the body, and hiding the pieces under the floorboards.)

That’s because in a trial when we say someone is insane, we’re saying that the person didn’t fully understand what he or she was doing and therefore shouldn’t be held responsible for his or her actions. Read the following legal definition of insanity:

Insanity is a mental illness of such a severe nature that a person cannot distinguish fantasy from reality, cannot manage his/her own affairs or is subject to uncontrollable impulsive behavior. In criminal cases a plea of “not guilty by reason of insanity” will require a trial on the issue of the defendant’s insanity (or sanity) at the time the crime was committed.

In this context, “not guilty” does not mean the person did not commit the criminal act for which he or she is charged. It means that when the person committed the crime, he or she could not tell right from wrong or could not control his or her behavior because of severe mental defect or illness. Such a person, the law holds, should not be held criminally responsible for his or her behavior. (

You are the PROSECUTING attorney for the state in a case against a man accused of murder. The man is obviously guilty—he confessed to the crime and led the police straight to the mutilated body of his victim. The defense lawyers are going to try to prove that their client is insane and should therefore get a lesser sentence. However, you want to prove he is NOT insane so the murderer will face the full consequences of his crime.

REMEMBER: Legal insanity means that at the time of the crime, the killer…

• 
  Could not distinguish fantasy from reality
  
• 
  Could not tell right from wrong
  
• 
  Could not control his behavior
  

Read through the killer’s confession and try to find evidence that you could use to prove that the murderer IS sane. Find evidence that shows the accused meets the three criteria for sanity. identify the line and page number for each piece of evidence.

Name______________________________________________Date_______________________Period________

As Prosecuting attorney, I believe the defendant is sane because

1.

2.

3.

Name______________________________________________Date_______________________Period________

As Attorney for the Defense, I believe the defendant is insane because

1.

2.

3.